Ski boot



Dec. 1, 1953 H. HENKE v SKI BOOT Filed Feb. 8, 1952 Patented Dec. 1,1953 UNITED STAT-ES RAT EN T OFFICE SKI BOOT Hermann Henke, Stein amRhine, Switzerland Application February 8, 1952, Serial No. 270,550

4 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to improvements in a sport boot, inparticular a ski boot, and the objects of my improvements are first toprovide means which afford a good support and hold of the wearers anklein the boot Without constraining the agility of the ankle, and second tosubstantially eliminate any rubbing actions on the lower segment of thewearers leg. The advantages attained thereby are very important for thewearer in particular when skiing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a ski boot with aninstep strap and a spat or gaiter enclosing the wearer's shank, whereinmeans :are provided for pulling down the instep portion-and thegaiter sothat only a single closure means, e. g. a buckle, is to be operated fortensioning or loosening the parts. For this purpose, straps serving tohold the gaiter down run downward from the gaiter on-both sides of theboot through eyelets-of holding organs arranged below the ankle portionof the boot. The straps reverse their direction in the eyelets so as torun upwards and across the instep portion of the boot and towards eachother to be releasably and adjustably connected with each other.

Further objects and details of the invention will be apparent from thedescription given hereinafter and the accompanying drawing illustratingseveral embodiments thereof by way of example. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a first form of ski boot in side view,

Fig. 2 depicts a portion thereof seen from the opposite side,

Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical longitudinal section through a portion ofthis same boot,

Fig. 4 shows a part side view of a second form of ski boot, and

Fig. 5 depicts a third form of ski boot in part side view.

The ski boot shown in Figs. 1-3 comprises a spat or gaiter I l looselyjoining the upper l0 and overlapping the latter on the inside thereof,as shown in Fig. 3. The inside of gaiter H is provided with a soft padI2. The gaiter substantially is formed of a band which is detachablyclosable by means of a lace 13. The lower gaiter edge which projectsinto the upper I0, is engaged by two wrap-around straps I4 and I5. Thelatter on both sides of the boot first extend substantially in avertical downward direction and emerge through suitable openings in theupper on the boot outside. To the heel portion of the boot are securedguy straps or stays l8 and I9 which are provided with eyelets l6 and I1,and

the straps M, I5 are .anchored to said stays. From Figs. 1 and '2 may beseen that each of the two straps M, 15 pass through one of the eyeletsl'6 [1. The strap 1'5 furthermore passes across the boot instep and iswrapped around the upper 16. The free ends of the straps 14, "P5 aredetachably interconnected by means of an adjustable buckle closure means'20, as shown in Fig. 2. The gaiter H is movable with respect to theupper l0 and is held downtowards'the bootsole 2! through means 14-19.From Figs. '1 and 2 may be seen that themeans 14-!9 allow the gaiter I I.to swivel aboutan imaginary axisw'hich passes through the two eyelets I6, H 'of the holding means 18 and i9.

'In'wearing the 'ski bootshown and described, the gaiter ll embraces thelower segmentof the wearers leg some distance above the ankle, while thesaid imaginary gaiter swing axis is disposed below the ankle.Whenstretchingthe two straps I4, It bymeans of the buckle closure means20, the foot thus is pulleddown towards the sole '21, not only throughthe tightening action of strap is across the instep, but also, which isof importance, through the gaiter II which engages the foot above theankle. The ankle thus is firmly held in the boot without constrainingthe agility of the ankle, since the gaiter is movably disposed withrespect to the upper. Regardless of the good ankle-hold attained in thisway, rubbing actions on the lower segment of the wearers leg arepractically entirely eliminated, first on account of the gaiter pad l2,and second on account of the movable disposition of the gaiter withrespect to the upper. The advantages attained thereby are veryimportant, in particular for skiers.

The boot shown partly in Fig. 4 differs from the one just described inthat the gaiter II in this case overlaps the upper It not from theinside but from the outside.- A further difference is that in this casethe gaiter II is openable not on the rearside but on the front side ofthe boot, the lace 22 at the same time serving to lace the boot instep.

The ski boot shown in Fig. 5 is a modification of that shown in Fig. 4.The gaiter ll again overlaps the boot upper on the outside and isdetachably closed on the boot front side by means of a special lace 23.The strap [5 here extends only across the instep, but not around theupper [0. The two straps l4, [5 (of which the former is invisible inFig. 5) pass through eyelets 24 which by means of anchors 26 are securedto the legs of a stirrup 25 which engages the heel portion of the bootfrom the rear. The stirrup 25 may be made of metal for example, and theends of its legs are inserted in loops 21 which are rigidly secured tothe heel portion, only one of the two loops 2! being visible in Fig. 5.A spur 28 is integral with the web or stay of the stirrup 25, and servesto support the heel spring of a cable ski binding. When the boot ispulled down on to the ski with the aid of the ski binding, the stay ofstirrup 2 5 through the spur 28 also is pulled downwardly on to the bootheel edge. Thereby a good ankle hold in the boot is attained, with theaid of the gaiter, provided that the straps I4, l5 previously have beentightened somewhat. When, however, the ski binding is loosened, or whenthe heel spring of the binding is not engaged to the spur 28 but only tothe heel groove 29, the foot is clamped less pronouncedly in the boot.Such disposition, for example, facilitates running over level ground.

In all of the three forms of invention shown, the gaiter l I may beentirely separated from the remaining boot. In the form shown in Fig. 5,the stirrup 25 together with the anchors 26 yet may be detached from theboot by simply removing the same from the loops 21.

The gaiter H and the straps 14, I5 suitably are made of leather.

7 What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A ski boot comprising an upper, a gaiter joining said upper and beingmovable relatively thereto, two eyelets anchored below the ankle portionon the sides of the boot, respectively, two tape-shaped pulling memberssecured to the lower rim of the gaiter on the sides thereofrespectively, each member being passed downward through the adjacenteyelet and from there upward, at least one of said members extendingacross the'instep portion of the boot, and means to connect the freeends of said members adjustably and detachably to each other, so that atthe same time the instep of the foot and said .4 gaiter can be pulleddown towards the sole and the heel portion of the boot.

2. A ski boot as claimed in claim 1, said member which extends acrossthe instep portion, extending also around said upper.

3. A ski boot comprising an upper, a gaiter joining said upper and beingmovable with respect thereto, two eyelets on the sides of said boot,respectively, anchoring means for said eyelets and being arranged belowthe ankle portion of said boot, said anchoring means including a rigidstirrup-like element embracing the heel portion of said boot from therear and to which said eyelets are secured, two tape-shaped pullingmembers secured to the lower rim of said gaiter on the sides thereof,respectively, said members being passed downward through the adjacenteyelets, and upward therefrom, at least one of said members extendingacross the instep portion of said boot, and means to connect the freeends of said members adjustably and detachably to each other.

4. A ski boot as claimed in claim 3, said anchoring means furtherincluding loops secured on the sides, respectively, of the heel portionof said boot, the legs of said stirrup being inserted into said loops,and the Web of said stirrup including a rearwardly projecting portionadapted to support a portion of a ski binding.

HERMANN HENKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,444,428 Carrier July 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 49,631 France May 16, 1949 50,100 France Nov. 20, 1939 509,569Great Britain July 18, 1939

